Government ID, Smart Cards, Identification and Authentication

TSA takes over Clear lanes in Orlando

Friday, June 26, 2009

The Transportation Security Administration has expanded its Black Diamond lanes at Orlando International Airport in the space once occupied by the Clear registered traveler program, says a spokesperson for the airport. The Black Diamond program enables travelers to choose a lane based on their travel experience or who they are traveling with.

The kiosks and systems that were once in place have been dismantled, the spokesperson says. Orlando was the first airport to start using the Clear program.


The Clear registered traveler program shut down on June 22. According to a message in the Web site, “Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.”

The program operated at 20 airports and served 250,000 customers. [end] 

Sticking to its plan for a contactless rollout in 2012, Australian retailer Coles has selected Ingenico to provide its Ingenico iPP350 contactless payment terminals.

According to finextra.com, the Aussie retailer first piloted the technology in September 2011, and has since decided to expand. All business groups will deploy the new iPP350 across 24,000 lanes within the next few months, making the retailer one of the first in Australia to offer the contactless payment option.

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This summer a group of students at Arizona State University used mobile phones to enter residence hall and even their dorm rooms. Blackberry, Android and iPhone handsets were outfitted with near field communication (NFC) for physical access. HID Global credentials were provisioned to the smart phones for communication from handset to door.

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Coca-Cola, in partnership with media agency MEC, Clear Channel and Tapit, has launched an NFC-enabled poster campaign in Singapore for Fanta brand soft drinks.

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Pethealth Inc. announced the roll out of an ISO-standard MiniChip for use with companion animal RFID applications.

Approximately one-third the size of a standard microchip – which itself is roughly the size of a grain of rice - the MiniChip is designed to offer a smaller-scale alternative without compromising any of the protective benefits.

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Personal information of 9,000 current and prospective students was inadvertently posted online by Valencia College in Orlando. The school has apologized for the mistake.

The information included the students’ names, addresses, dates of birth and student ID numbers but not their Social Security numbers or financial information.

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Mexico’s Federal Tolling Authority - Caminos y Puentes Federales de Ingresos y Servicios Conexos (CAPUFE) - has awarded a contract to system integrator Axiompass to install a toll-free system for residents using Sirit RFID readers.

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